Sunday, August 10, 2014

Once you have mastered peanut sauce, chicken satay is a breeze and makes for a lovely and impressive presentation. It may look daunting, but truth be told this is a simple and fast recipe that is great for a party or everyday meal, especially if you plan ahead. The chicken skewers are simple kebabs that take mere minutes to finish - as long as you make the peanut sauce and marinate in advance, you can have this on the table in less than 15 minutes.

Satay is great family meal - kids love to grab the skewered chicken, and also choose their poisons, I mean vegetables. Dipping is a fun and messy affair for all. I find that a little kid empowerment makes for a more peaceful table. On the other hand, keep on eye out for skewers repurposed as weapons.

I chose to use pepper, carrots, green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with some hard boiled eggs thrown in for fun. But honestly anything works here - corn, zucchini, snap peas, tofu - whatever you have on hand will work in a pinch. If you are dining without the kids, then up the heat by adding some red chilis or sriracha sauce to the marinade. Fire up some onions with the satay, add some cabbage slaw or bok choy, add some spicy pickles, maybe even grilled eggplant - whatever you like. The mix and match simplicity of this dish really gives you lots of options and no bad choices.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Peanut sauce is a tasty, versatile, and fairly simple condiment to have on hand. Equally delicious as satay or slaw, it lends a unique and somewhat exotic mystique to the lowly peanut and will save you a fortune in take out costs. It can be served hot or cold with fresh vegetables, spread on bread to brighten an otherwise ho hum PB&J, or even eaten straight up with a spoon.

Kecap manis is a sweetened soy sauce available at Asian specialty stores. If you cannot find it, make your own by heating 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp molasses, and 1 tbsp light brown sugar until all the sugar is dissolved.

A big shout out to Peanut Butter Boy, whose exceptional chunky peanut butter contributed to the success of this dish. I like this brand for many reasons, not the least of which my friend Nick Strand invented it, but also because it is emulsified without being too oily or greasy. There is no sugar added, so the peanuty flavor really shines through. Highly recommended.

The recipe makes a large amount of sauce, which works for me as I have lots of plans for it. Come back soon to see more recipes.

Enjoy every bite.

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil (peanut if you have it, otherwise stick to something neutral like grape seed or vegetable oil)

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Eggplant can be as mysterious to cooks as the Mona Lisa's smile. Do you salt it or wet it? How can you make it less bitter? How can you cook it without soaking every ounce of oil up like a sponge? I have had many really smart, independent, determined friends come to me with the same dilemma time and time again, looking at me as if I have the primer for the Da Vinci Code.

The truth is, it really is not that difficult to work with eggplant, as long as you plan ahead of time - last minute eggplant anything recipes are hard to find. If you are new to it, think of it like a bad first date; you have to coax it out of its bitterness and try to ignore it's self-absored nature. Once you get past that, it is yielding, easy to work with, and delicious. First impressions can be deceptive.

This recipe came to me from The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook, part of the Essential series from Bay Books which I enjoy. The books survey several countries in each volume, and then serve up luscious pictures, details about exotic ingredients, and terrific recipes. In this book, you can travel through Spain, France, Northern Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, and of course Greece, where you will find this easy to make albeit time consuming recipe. Billed as a salad, it can be served on its own with rice or orzo as a main course. Eggplant, tomato, and onions are basically sauteed on low heat for about an hour, yielding a soft, velvety meal for six. Did I mention that it is low fat, vegetarian, and gluten free?

Cut the eggplant into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in colander, generously salt (kosher salt if you have it), and let it drip into a bowl for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry using a dish towel.

Mix the remaining 2 tbsp of oil with garlic and lemon juice. Add to yogurt along with the mint and stir. Set aside.

Using a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil on medium-high. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden and cool on paper towels. Add 2 more tbsp of oil to the pan and fry the onion for 1 - 2 minutes, then add the cinnamon and 1/2 of the garlic. Mix and fry for 1 more minute and then add the tomatoes, and stir well. Add the eggplant, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about an hour, until the liquid is cooked through/the mixture is dry. Add half of the chopped herbs and remove from heat to cool down.

Add pine nuts and mix through. Top with remaining fresh herbs and serve with yogurt sauce and orzo.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fish tacos have very trendy here on the east coast. The first time I tried them was more than a decade ago out in San Diego, visiting family and and soaking up the local culture. We were out Coronado, walking off our jet lag and looking for dinner. We passed a local dive and I was sure that in my state I had read the sign incorrectly but sure enough, fish tacos were on the menu...and they were fabulous. Simply cooked fish in a spicy sauce, crisp slaw, fresh tortillas - what a revelation.

These tasty SoCal transfers are easy to make, endlessly versatile, and delicious. The below recipe calls for tilapia but any firm white fish works - try on red snapper, cod, whatever suits your fancy. Change up flour tortillas with corn. Swap sour creme with crema or yogurt. Go nuts with the spices, or even better...add nuts! There are no rules and everything just seems to work. So have fun, enjoy your summer, and as always, enjoy every bite.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Spring has sprung and even on the rainy days I do enjoy some shish kebab. It is quintessential grilling fare, with endless variations and always a crowd pleaser. I love all the color and creativity that comes with making this recipe, and we partake year round. That being said...not a fan of skewering. Messy, time consuming, and in the end a shish in your guest's kebab when it comes time to eat. So years ago I invented this time saving recipe, which is endlessly versatile, great for large groups, and a breeze to clean up.

Enjoy every bite.

Easy Shish KebabIngredients

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup of chopped scallions

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sesame oil

1 pound kebab beef, cut into small, bite size pieces

3 bell peppers, cut into small, bite size pieces

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1 pint mushrooms, cut in half

3 white or yellow onions, rough chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine the garlic, ginger, cilantro, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil to make a marinade. Let sit for 5 minutes and then add the beef. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the the peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and half of the marinade in a large roasting pan. Add salt and pepper. Place in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Add beef and remaining marinade and cook in oven for 10 - 15 minutes, until beef is cooked.

Serve with rice.

This recipe serves 6 - 8, but can be easily doubled or tripled. You can readily swap out the vegetables for whatever you have on hand, but here are some of my suggested variations:

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Lemon is just the thing to punch up an otherwise ho hum dreary and cold winter day. It's zing and dazzle cuts cleanly through a wealth of ingredients, complimenting and highlighting everything until it seems that Mr. Clean himself has baked with love. And poppy seeds, well they are a lovely and wholly optional addition to this wonderful cake. I love the way they crunch against the fine crumb of the cake, and must confess that I also get a kick out of pouring out what must be hundreds of thousands of them into my cake batter and watching them spread throughout the bowl like stars across the sky.

I have made this cake many times over the years; it is a go to favorite that looks more time consuming than it actually is, especially if you have one of those fun Nordicware fancy bundt pans on hand...people just love them. My most recent turn with this recipe was on my husband's behalf. He recently started a new job, and the office has an annual holiday bake off. "It's on", I told him, as I began scouring for a good recipe to rightly impress his colleagues. I mixed and baked and glazed and then popped it into a paper box, ready for the next day. On his way out the door, I reminded him to grab some berries en route to work and to pour them in the center of the cake and let them spill over. A quick kiss, and he was gone.

He came home later that day, smiled brightly, and told me how much everyone loved the cake. To prove it, he showed me the remains in the box, in which about a third of the original was left behind. And then he told me what happened: the previous office champion, apparently a bit proprietary, took one look at the cake, stared at the box, and cried foul. "That's a bakery box!" And many others, while they were fond of the fare, took one look at the well formed cake and nodded in agreement. Which is sort of a compliment.

Happy New Year Readers. I hope your 2013 is blessed with much love, joy, health, and happiness. Enjoy every bite.

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, twice.

Beat butter in mixer with paddle attachment until fluffy (medium speed). Add 1 3/4 cups of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Reduce speed to low and add flour mix and milk, alternating until the last addition of flour. Add the zest, vanilla, lemon extract, and poppy seeds.

Transfer batter to pan and place in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.

While baking, make the glaze: Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp zest, and lemon juice to a small sauce pan and stir on medium-high, until sugar has dissolved.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

So, as I have mentioned before, my husband is a lamb fan, like Mary before him. Loves the stuff. One of the first dishes I started preparing for him while dating/wooing was Fasulia, which is a Lebanese lamb stew. Simple to prepare, yet full of delicious surprises mostly brought on from the unexpected heat and flavor the hint of cinnamon brings to the dish. Even though lamb is more of a spring delicacy, I always find myself preparing this recipe when the weather begins to turn colder, as it is very satisfying and hearty fare, best served over rice or potatoes and with lot's of love. Enjoy every bite.